Dangerous Whims
by MachGirl
Summary: Tilla Mook joined Project Rebirth in search of a big score and, in a manner of speaking, she got one. Burdened with the Black Duel Disk, she set out to be all it claimed she was. How could she have known her road to glory would also be her road to motherhood?
1. Voodoo! Who Do? Not You

Disclaimer: This story is a work of fan fiction based on characters and story-lines appearing in Yu-Gi-Oh and Yu-Gi-Oh R, created by Kazuki Takahashi and Akira Ito, respectively. Original characters and plot elements unique to this story are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.

Please note that Tilla's thoughts on Voodoo Doughnut are not mine but her own. I'm sure it's a fine establishment. Probably.

* * *

 **CHAPTER ONE**  
 **Voodoo! Who Do? Not You.**

 _"Portland is no place for vampires."_

There was a time when Tilla Mook almost regretted saying that. If she hadn't, her mother might have spared her the play-by-play on _Twilight_ 's production. But she had been right all along. Over-dramatic, but right nonetheless. Voodoo Doughnut proved that.

It was not the ninety minute wait that convinced her of this. No, it was the _reason_ for the wait, which revealed itself when she and Mom finally made it through the door. The walls were bright pink and yellow. They grabbed the eye ... and took focus off the occult kitsch peppered around. Customers shouted risque doughnut names, but were never quite heard over the music. Safe and marketable weirdness, Tilla expected as much. But one look at her mother's expectant smile and she knew she'd never say so.

The man behind the counter stared at Tilla, even though her mother made the order. She didn't think much of it. Her Victorian Gothic fashion tended to attract stares anywhere that wasn't New York. So it caught her off guard when he paused between grabbing doughnuts to say "You're Tilla Mook, aren't you?"

Tilla thought she'd at last succeeded in erasing high school from her memory, until he spoke again.

"Good show at Nationals."

It wasn't the first time someone recognized her as a Card Professor, but it was the first time in Portland. She flushed at her oversight. This city was so tied to her past, it was hard to believe the present existed here at all.

"Thank you," she said.

"We're very proud of her." Beaming, Mom patted the small of Tilla's back.

The man closed the lid on a box that matched the pink of the walls. "I've always wondered, is that your real name?"

Tilla repressed the urge to cringe and instead stretched her lips across her teeth. It didn't feel like a smile should, but it must have looked close enough. His amused grin didn't falter.

"Yes, it is." Tilla plucked the box from his hands and shuffled away from the counter. She had to end this interaction before the inevitable follow up.

"You must really like cheese."

Too late.

"Yes," she said. "It goes well with bread, wine, and a small sacrifice."

A flat, rehearsed delivery typically served well for that line, but not here. The man forced a laugh and started eyeing the next customer. Mom dragged her hand down her face. Tilla headed for the door, more disappointed than she cared to admit. So what if the atmosphere reeked of calculated edge rather than genuine oddity? Someone working at a place called Voodoo Doughnut ought to have a better sense of humor.

Mom waited until they'd cleared the sizable line outside the door to smack Tilla on the shoulder. Her puffed sleeve absorbed most of the blow, but she still flinched.

"Will you stop telling people you sacrifice things?!" cried Mom. "How do you think that's gonna make me look if it gets around? I don't need people whispering behind my back. 'Did you hear about her daughter? What a shame. Where did she go wrong?'"

Tilla snorted. "Like they don't do that already."

"Not anymore. You're a hometown hero." Mom took Tilla's face in her hands and squeezed just a bit too hard. "Don't screw it up."

"I promise nothing," Tilla mumbled through scrunched cheeks.

Stares followed them up Ankeny Street, but not the usual kind. It was the doughnut box that caught people's attention, more so than even Tilla herself. Reactions ranged from mild envy to mild disgust.

 _Hm,_ Tilla thought, _if one fails to achieve mass appeal with their occult gimmick, do they succeed?_

Skidmore Fountain came into view. Thoughts of anything but sitting left Tilla's mind. She first helped her mother crouch onto the base, then flopped down beside her. The box briefly vanished in her lap while her skirt deflated. Once it reappeared Tilla opened the lid and offered first pick to Mom. She chose a simple apple fritter. Tilla opted for the eponymous Voodoo Doughnut. It was a torso-shaped pastry, anguished at the pretzel skewer in its stomach. Tilla thought it toed the line between cute and macabre much better than its namesake did. She drove the pretzel skewer in a bit deeper and twisted it. The corner of her mouth twitched upward.

"I know you'd rather be inside somewhere," Mom said between bites, "but it's all bars around here. Nothing opens until five p.m."

"It's fine." Tilla licked the raspberry blood from her pretzel skewer. She'd hoped she would know what to say next by the time she replaced it, but no such luck. The longer she thought, the further she strayed. Instead of finding the right words, she berated herself for not having them already. Then she started berating herself for berating herself. It soon formed a cycle, which transcended her mind and sent the entire world spinning.

The first twinges of nausea were what it took to pull her together. No part of her wanted to be the woman who threw up in Skidmore Fountain. She took a few deep breaths. A small lump formed in her throat, but her stomach calmed. She tore off the doughnut's head and popped it in her mouth.

"I can't drink for _at least_ the next seven months."

Her chewing muffled the words to near intelligibility. She thought back to the shop, dulling the impact of their coarse language with music. She swallowed. What a coward she was.

Mom clenched Tilla's shoulder. No puffed sleeve could save her this time. The pain rivaled the first time she wore a corset. As she had then, Tilla sat up taller and held onto her composure. Her mother, meanwhile, was all out of sorts. Tilla hadn't seen her eyes quite that wide since she told her she was leaving home to play cards for a living.

"Seven months?" asked Mom. "What does that mean? What are you saying to me?"

The taste of fried oil and jelly lingered in Tilla's mouth. It conjured up memories of Hanukkahs past. Dad took her to the bakery each year. She watched him buy a dozen jelly doughnuts, but somehow there was always an extra for her once they were gone. He called it their Hanukkah miracle. She never did figure out when he found the time to slip out and get it.

The Voodoo Doughnut was no miracle, but it could still take her through time. If she looked into the fountain, she might have seen a young girl and not a grown woman. The fears which crept through her veins were certainly those of a young girl. So were the tears.

"It means you're going to be a grandmother," she said.

Mom took her hand off of Tilla's shoulder and placed it on her own heart. "You're having a baby?"

Tilla nodded.

Mom pulled her into a hug. It was, without a doubt, even tighter than that first corset, but it did not hurt. It was freeing. Tilla let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"I can't believe it," Mom said. "A baby! I didn't even know you had a boyfriend!"

Tilla wanted to laugh, but suspected her mom wouldn't appreciate it. She pulled back, brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, and cleared her throat. "That is because I ... don't."

The color left Mom's face. "No boyfriend?"

"No boyfriend."

"But _how?_ "

In the past few weeks Tilla had felt more than she had in years. Confusion, anxiety and, sometimes, excitement consumed her whenever she deigned to sit still. She had yet to feel as did now, hearing her mother sound so very _gutted_. It was something she had vowed never to feel from the moment she embraced the dark and ornate. Something that Mom had a unique power to inspire in her.

She felt ashamed.

 _Personally, I blame Yugi Muto._

"The one with the hair?"

Tilla's stomach dropped. Had she said that out loud? Few things could have been worse. It served as an amusing catharsis on those mornings she spent hunched over the toilet. Not only was it neither amusing nor cathartic in this moment, it was easy to misinterpret.

"Isn't he _married?_ "

Like that.

Mom seized her by the arms and gave her a firm shake. "Tilla, _what have you done?!_ "

"Calm down." Tilla shrugged her off. "It's not his."

"Then what are you talking about?! Are you trying to give your mother a stroke?!"

Tilla cradled her stomach. Some day, she hoped many years from now, her child would want to know their story. Now was as good a time as any to workshop it. It would never be perfect, but it would be the truth.

And the truth was that everything began with Yugi Muto.


	2. The Man Who Sold the Underworld

**CHAPTER TWO  
** **The Man Who Sold the Underworld**

She would have been a fool to refuse Yako Tenma.

Both Yako and his brother, Gekko, were elusive creatures. Maximillion Pegasus may have named the boys his successors, but he had yet to retire. For the most part they stood by his side at press conferences, at which they spoke little. After all, the camera loved Pegasus and Pegasus loved the camera. What was more, Yako had made no public appearances in six months before that night at the Crypt O' Night Club.

Tilla was ready to go home. She had nursed her drink for so long it was warm, and she didn't particularly want another. The brief euphoria alcohol gave her had run its course. A crash was imminent.

She scanned the dance floor and found Laura tossing her limbs around with wild abandon. Clearly her euphoria was still going strong. Tilla rested her chin on the back of her hand and watched Laura dance a while. Her enthusiasm did not prove infectious as Tilla hoped, but it was a welcome distraction.

Then he appeared.

Tenma may not have been Pegasus's biological son, but he'd inherited the man's theatrics. He must have known he would stand out no matter what, a splash of pink and green against the black and red walls. Yet he chose to walk directly through the dance floor, parting the crowd like Moses did the Red Sea. It was so surreal, Tilla thought she might have been hallucinating.

"Tilla Mook," he said, "I've come a long way to find you."

That sure sounded like something a hallucination would say. Tilla looked for the bartender to assuage her, but she was busy mixing a snakebite.

"I am Yako Tenma." He held out his hand. Tilla figured hallucinations could not shake hands, so she took it and felt at ease.

"I know who you are," she said.

"Excellent. That will make things much easier." He glanced back at the dance floor. "Ms. Sheridan seems preoccupied. May I borrow you for a moment?"

Her mood had bottomed out. If he'd caught her a few minutes earlier, she might have still had enough self-preservation to say no. At the very least, she would have bothered to ask how he knew Laura's name. As it was, she downed the last of her warm drink and followed Tenma out back to the dining quarters.

"I'm famished," he said. "What about you?"

Tilla had already eaten before she came out that night. The menu was a bit too pricey for her liking. But Tenma refused to eat if he couldn't get her something as well, so she ordered a house salad. He got the filet mignon. Of _course_ he did. Were she feeling more like herself, she would have laughed.

Tenma spoke no more until the waiter came with their glasses of water, for which Tenma thanked him. In Tilla's depressed mind time had slowed to a crawl, but she felt too apathetic to demand he explain himself. Fortunately, she didn't have to wait much longer. With the waiter out of earshot, Tenma pulled a Duel Monsters card out of his pocket and placed it face-up on the table.

"Tell me, Miss Mook, have you ever heard the myth of Orpheus?"

"Of course." She leaned over the table to get a better look. He'd laid down A Deal with Dark Ruler. Not a card she would have associated with Orpheus on her own, but she saw how one could.

"Orpheus braves the underworld to retrieve his wife, Eurydice. Hades agrees to release her, but only if Orpheus can be patient enough not to look back at her until they reach the exit. At the last moment, Orpheus loses his faith, looks back and loses her forever."

It wasn't the most detailed summary, but she was sad and drunk.

"Cruel, isn't it? To get so close and still fail." Tenma peeled the card off the table and held it to his breast. "I want to give Orpheus another chance."

Tilla cocked an eyebrow. "What?"

"You see, Maximillion Pegasus once loved a woman, his darling Cecelia. Death stole her from him, so he traveled the world until he found his chance to get her back. And, like Orpheus, he reached the final leg of his trial only to lose everything."

"That's ... not possible." It didn't sound anything like Maximillion Pegasus. Industrial Illusions' affable man-child practiced necromancy? With what, _Funny Bunny's Book of Shadows_?

"So much more is possible in this world than you realize." Tenma grinned. "Pegasus has given up, but I have found another way into the underworld. I can bring her back."

Black arts and love beyond death, this would have enraptured her were she sober. Instead it sunk into the fog clouding her brain. "I don't understand. You came all this way to tell me a story?"

"I understand you are a Card Professor," he said. "I've come to ask for your services. Because I don't want any mistakes this time. And Yugi Muto _will_ try to stop me."

That name sent a harsher jolt through her system than even the bitterest shot could have. "Yugi Muto? The King of Games?"

"The one and only."

"Why would Yugi Muto want to stop you?"

Tenma reached into his breast pocket and brought out another card, Sage's Stone. He held both cards out to her, one in each hand, and mimed weighing them. "The balance of the living and the dead should not be disturbed, Miss Mook. If I'm to bring someone back, I'll have to sacrifice another."

He crushed Sage's Stone in his fist.

"Yugi Muto _robbed_ Pegasus of the chance to rescue his beloved. If someone else has to feel that loss it should be him."

Tilla's blood ran cold as she watched the crumpled card fall to the tabletop. Yako Tenma may not have been a hallucination, but he could very well have been a madman. She eyed the door.

"I don't-"

"Project Rebirth will go on with or without you," Tenma said. "Refuse, and you'll only deny yourself a shot at the King. And his bounty."

In hindsight, it was the choice that would change the entire trajectory of her life. If Tenma had offered her any other Joe Schmoe, it would have been a hard pass. But this was _Yugi Muto._ He alone was worth more than twice what she made in a year on the tournament circuit. And Tenma was right. If it wasn't her, it would just be someone else.

"What would I have to do?"


	3. Look at That Caveman Go

Note: Since we cannot reply directly to Guest Reviews, I wanted to take time here to express my gratitude. Your words were very well-received. I intend to focus on the the events leading up to conception, rather than the birth, but I hope you still enjoy the ride.

* * *

 **CHAPTER THREE  
** **Look at That Caveman Go**

Like all salesmen, Tenma pitched a better product than he delivered. His talk of myths and entering the underworld had given her lofty expectations. She pictured herself on misty moors, rising from the haze to catch Yugi Muto off guard. While she distracted him with a duel, Tenma would unearth the remains of Pegasus's lover. Yugi would back her into a corner, only for red light to pierce the sky as the dark ritual commenced. Soundtrack provided by Jim Steinman.

The reality was far less atmospheric. She sat in a conference room, her bangs the only protection from harsh lighting. So far twelve other Card Professors had arrived. Some she remembered from her days on the local Oregon circuit. Others she knew on sight, but not by name. The man seated next to her, Pete Coppermine, was one she recognized by reputation alone.

Few Canadian Duelists received mainstream attention. Coppermine had stolen it right out from under that Mountie who fought all his Duels on a moose. Now that Tilla had laid eyes on him, she questioned how. He looked like any number of guys she could have found at Crypt O' Night, so it wasn't his image carrying him. It had to be his steadfast claims that he was actually a mutant and his vertical pupils were all natural.

 _Canadians are either very gullible_ , Tilla thought, _or easily amused_.

The door flew open and slammed into the wall. Tilla pursed her lips to smother a gasp. A girl on the other side of the room shrieked, then clapped a hand to her mouth. Tilla snorted, but couldn't hear it over the boisterous laughter of the man in the doorway.

"Keith Howard."

Richie Merced rose from his seat and crossed his arms. The fluorescent lights added an extra level of sheen to his black Duel Disk. It was the most transparent power play Tilla had seen in a while, and it had worked. Keith eyed Merced with such venom, it was clear even through his sunglasses.

"Didn't know Kaiba made his tinker toys to order," he said.

" _I_ didn't know you were still alive. We all heard you died years ago." Merced gestured towards everyone in the room, but Tilla had never felt so superfluous. Or disinterested. This would have been far more entertaining on the moors.

"It's gonna take more than some primped up dandy to put Bandit Keith six feet under! And good thing, too." He looked Merced up and down. "Cuz if _you're_ the best the Card Professor around these days, it must be a cakewalk out there!"

He laughed some more.

Merced's eyes followed Keith around as he moved to the head of the table. "What are you doing here? Did Tenma dig you up?"

"Hell naw," said Keith. "I ain't no fuckin' zombie."

Coppermine leaned in, tapped Tilla on the shoulder and muttered, "He smells like one, though." Tilla rolled her eyes but smiled in spite of herself.

"Pretty Boy came around, asking if I knew the right people for his gig. And I sent him to you guys." Keith slid his sunglasses down the bridge of his nose. "You're welcome."

No one in the room looked particularly grateful. Tilla knew she should have been, but Bandit Keith oozed sleaze. The idea that he followed her career at all inspired nothing but vague discomfort.

Keith went to the white board and drew a rudimentary schematic of a building. The _wrong_ building. Most everyone knew that the ketchup bottle was Kaiba Corporation's Japan headquarters. Their so-called Dragon Tower of New York was much more conventional. Tilla might have reconsidered the zombie idea, but she suspected Keith often had no idea where he was.

"So here's the deal," he said. "Tenma's playing Donkey Kong on the top of this here tower. If that punk Yugi wants to save the princess, he's gonna have to get past you goombas and make it to the top."

Over in the corner, Klamath Osler held up his finger. He looked prepared to drop some serious Donkey Kong lore, but Keith didn't hesitate. He pulled a group of straws from the inside of his vest and shoved them at Klamarth. "Each of you gets a block. If he steps on your turf, duel him into the ground."

"Drawing straws?!" cried Merced. He still hadn't sat down. The effect was no longer intimidating so much as comical. "You mean we aren't going to duel for it?!"

"Nope," said Keith. "Life's a bitch, ain't it?"

That it was.

Tilla entered the draw with a healthy level of pessimism, but was still disappointed. Something in the middle of the road hadn't felt like so much to ask for. Alas, the basement had turned up to show her how wrong she'd been. Unless Yugi Muto had a terrible sense of direction, the chances of facing him were slim. She sunk her chin into her palm and tried not to grimace.

 _You know_ , she thought in a voice more like her mother's than her own, _this is your measure for measure. You signed off on Tenma's crazy plan looking for quick cash and now you get nothing. It's what you deserve._

"If you manage to cork it up and let the twerp win, you've gotta give him this."

Keith slid them each a key card with unexpected expertise. Tilla didn't bother to catch hers, instead letting it crash into her elbow. Coppermine, with no sense of tact or subtlety, craned his head to get a look at it. His bangs grazed her neck, sending a chill down her spine. She turned to look at him, but his eyes stayed fixed on the card.

"HoloLabs? That sounds sweet!" He held up his own key. "Wanna trade?"

Though the word printed along the side was clear as day, she read it several times out of sheer disbelief. "The lobby? Why would you-?"

"Do you really think Yugi Muto won't make it past the _lobby?_ "

Coppermine smirked, and Tilla noticed he had fangs to go with his cat eyes. She had never heard anyone mention them before. It was a shame. They were far more convincing than whatever contacts he was sporting. In fact, she was so impressed that she almost forgot how irritating the smug look on his face was. _Almost_. She plucked the card out of his fingers and slipped it in into her sleeve.

"I guess we'll see."


	4. Yugi Stardust and the Duelists From Mars

**CHAPTER FOUR**

 **Yugi Stardust and the Duelists from Mars**

The lobby was dull, but malleable. With the wide open space and Kaiba's technology, she could forge ambience where there was none. The moors remained her first choice, but she feared them too esoteric. She wanted to fill the King with dread, not confusion.

She did neither.

Blanketed in the fog of her virtual graveyard, she spotted him before he could see her. He looked wary but undaunted, and altogether nothing like she expected. News of his graduation had made the rounds months before, but she'd still pictured him in a school uniform. It was branding at this point. His new corp goth look was more adult, but it would never be as iconic.

"Be careful, you guys," he called over his shoulder. "Someone _must_ be here."

She had been so focused on Yugi that his companions slipped under her radar. A quick glance proved them to be the usual suspects: Joey Wheeler and the burlier half of their entourage. At his word, they flanked Yugi like a pair of bodyguards.

"Alright, I've had about enough!" said Wheeler. "Show yourself!"

Tilla emerged, adding a little extra swagger to her step. "Welcome to my Duel Field."

In the years to come, she would reminisce on this loss more than any other. Not to try and parse where it all went wrong-which she sometimes did-but rather just to remember. She had faced the King of Games. Not everyone could say that. But those that could tended to say the same thing.

 _I almost had him._

His paltry Magnet Warrior and Gazelle fell to their knees under the gaze of her Overpowering Eye. Nothing stood between Yugi and the iron claw of Vampire's Curse.

"Go! Razor Nail Blade!"

Her monster glided across the field and sent Yugi flying with an uppercut slash. He disappeared into the fog, a loud thud the only sign of his fall back to Earth.

"Yugi!" cried Wheeler. "Don't give up, man!"

"Yeah!" the other one added. "Send that bloodsucker flying back to Transylvania! For Téa!"

So that was the girl's name. Tenma had never used it, and Tilla had an idea why. It stirred something in both Yugi and herself. He stumbled back into sight and, watching him, everything started to feel too real for her. Of course Yugi wouldn't stay down. He _couldn't_ stay down, because Tenma had Téa. Téa was a living, breathing girl trapped at the top of this tower, and Tenma was going to kill her.

 _What am I doing here?_

They each took a moment to steel themselves. The Duel Field seemed to fade away. Tilla felt she was floating outside of herself. Her thoughts sounded far off, echoing through the hollow chamber of her mind. They said that both Yugi and Tenma had a chance to save someone's life here. When she heard it like that, it sounded almost fair. It was enough to bring her back to her body, at least.

While she'd been gone, Yugi began kneading a pendant between his thumb and forefinger. Tilla had not noticed before then that he was wearing his own merchandise.

He closed his fist around it. "It's my turn!"

"Summon whatever you like, Yugi. You only have 200 life points. Vampire's Curse will finish you off next turn!"

"Don't be so sure!" He drew from his deck with such speed that it audibly cut through the fog. In spite of his words, he paused to gulp before looking at the card. Once he had, a smile spread across his face. He turned and gave his friends a curt nod.

"Aw yeah!" said Wheeler. "Fasten your seatbelt, cuz Yugi's about to take you to Comeback City!"

Tilla didn't know what was more confusing, that statement or Yugi's sudden confidence. Which one was _scarier_ , she had no doubt. Her heart raced as Yugi reached to make his play.

"I tribute Gamma the Magnet Warrior and Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts!" he said. "Come forth, Buster Blader!"

It was anticlimactic to say the least. Buster Blader was a powerful monster, but not powerful enough. She had no dragons on the Field or in the Graveyard, so it only boasted its 2600 base attack. With Vampire's Curse already at 2500, Buster Blader could only delay the inevitable.

"Have you forgotten my master's effect, Yugi?" Tilla gestured towards Vampire's Curse. He dissolved into the fog, reappeared behind her, and draped her in his cape. She stroked his cheek, and the ice cold skin raised goosebumps up her arm. It was her turn to smile. Kaiba really had spared no detail.

Joey Wheeler shuddered. "Keep it on your LiveJournal, why don't cha?"

Tilla's face fell. Leave it to the peanut gallery to spoil her show of intimidation. She crossed her arms. "Even if you destroy Vampire's Curse, he will come back even stronger."

"Oh, I remember," said Yugi. "But it seems _you've_ forgotten something, Tilla. I reveal my face-down card, Bounce Spell!"

Vampire's Curse left her side and bowed to Yugi.

"What?!"

"Bounce Spell lets me take control of one of your Continuous Spell Cards and use it as my own! Now your Overpowering Eye is looking right back at you! And you know what _that_ means!"

Buster Blader leapt across the field, over Vampire's Curse, to Tilla. She stumbled backward, trying to escape its shadow, but it was no use. Buster Blader hadn't looked all that impressive from a distance, but up close it was a titan. Without Vampire's Curse to protect her she stood no chance.

"Buster Blader!" cried Yugi. "End this Duel with your Dragon Sword!"

The blade tore through her chest and brought her to her knees. It was fitting, she supposed. Yugi had defended his title. Now both she and her monster had to kneel before the King of Games. The only thing that tempered her humiliation was the pain from her phantom wound. She clutched her heart and tried, in vain, to catch her breath.

Yugi came over and held out his hand. She figured it was for the key card. A wave of resentment washed over her. He had cost her $100,000. Could he not afford her a few seconds to get back on her feet?

"Are you alright?"

Tilla swore she had misheard, but then he got down to her level. In contrast to his Buster Blader, he looked much warmer and kinder up close. She gave him her hand and he helped her up. In a day full of strange interactions, it had to be the strangest.

"You ..."

She had started to say " _you shouldn't be helping me,_ " but she had a good idea how he would respond. He'd smile and ruffle his hair and give her some speech about how everyone deserves a helping hand. Yes, that sounded like him. She'd always thought his humble affect was a put on, but in person he radiated authenticity.

"You won, Yugi." She pulled the key card from her sleeve. "This is yours."

His face lit up. "Thank you, Tilla."

"Way to go, Yugi!" Wheeler rushed to Yugi's side and gave him a hearty slap on the back. "At this rate we'll have Téa back in no time!"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," said Yugi. "It's a long way to the top and there are still eleven other Card Professors."

"Don't sweat it! We can take whatever Tenma throws at us!"

Their friend came up behind Wheeler, placed a hand on his shoulder, and flashed a skeptical smile. "Uhhn-less you have a Duel Disk hiding in your pocket, I think you mean _Yugi_ can take 'em."

For a brief instant, Wheeler lost composure. "A minor setback!" His eyes darted around the room until they found Tilla, at which point he snapped his fingers and pointed at her. "Can I borrow your Duel Disk?"

Tilla glanced over her shoulders, though she knew she'd find no one. It was easier to believe someone had slipped through the locked door than to accept that he was speaking to her. He sounded so casual, as if she hadn't tried to stop them in their tracks mere moments ago. Wheeler may have had a reputation for foolishness, but he'd stumped her.

"Why would I let you do that?"

He shrugged. "Not like you'll be usin' it."

There was a touch of cheek in his words, counterproductive but telling. Wheeler _was_ a bit of a fool, but only a bit. Foolishness implied ignorance. He knew that he was aiming for a long shot. He just didn't care. Tilla couldn't help but respect such boldness. She let him have the Duel Disk.

"Don't go breaking it, okay?"

"Don't you worry!" He patted the casing like it was the hood of a car. "It's in good hands!"

She never saw that Duel Disk again.

When all was said and dueled they came back to the lobby. The first thing Tilla noticed was that they had the girl, Téa, with them. In her presence Yugi was a different man-lighter on his feet, more animated in his motions. She had a hand on his shoulder and, though _he_ had rescued _her_ , it looked like she was leading him. He wouldn't take his eyes off of her.

 _Don't despair, Tenma_ , Tilla thought. _Orpheus made it to the surface after all._

Wheeler and the other guy marched arm-in-arm, singing and doing the can-can. They couldn't carry a tune for the life of them, but Tilla had to admire their form. It was perfect. She wondered if they'd danced the whole way down.

Téa rolled her eyes and glanced back at them. "Are you guys about done?"

"They're just happy to have you back, Téa." Yugi reached up and threaded his fingers in hers. "And so am I."

She took a step closer to him. "I'm happy to _be_ back, Yugi."

It did not surprise Tilla when, five years later, the two announced their engagement. It _should_ not have surprised her that Joey Wheeler couldn't follow a simple direction. Yet, when he approached her with a sheepish grin, her stomach lurched all the same.

"Funny thing about your Duel Disk ..."

"I gave you _one job_ ," she said.

"And I _didn't_ break it! I just ... traded it in." He tossed his replacement at her. "Hope ya don't mind."

It didn't register right away, what she was holding. In her fury she almost threw it aside. Then the shine hit her right in the eye and she took a good look. Anger gave way to disbelief.

Joey Wheeler had given her the black Duel Disk.

"Wh-how did _you_ get this?!"

He wagged his index finger. "Bandit Keith keeps gettin' older but no wiser, y'know what I'm saying?"

She did, but that only raised more questions. Wheeler couldn't tell her for sure what happened in the upper echelons of the Dragon Tower, but she had a good idea. Keith and Merced must have lost the plot and picked up their pissing contest, which Keith must have won. Then he turned around and lost to Wheeler. Again.

 _Ouch._

"Do you know what this means?" she asked.

"Sure I do!" Wheeler flexed his muscles and struck his best strongman pose. "It means ya pal Joey is the greatest Card Professor in the world! Am I right or am I right?"

Tilla felt a brief but intense kinship with Téa. "Yeah."

"Not bad for a guy only worth ten bucks, huh?"

"I cannot accept this." She shoved the Duel Disk back at him. "I didn't earn it. It belongs to you."

Wheeler looked her up and down, like he was seeing her for the first time, and smiled. "Spoken like a True Duelist. But, if ya think about it, I'm not even really a Card Professor, so it wouldn't be right for me to have it. And it matches your outfit better, anyway."

He went to join his friends, leaving her with the black Duel Disk. She stared, open-mouthed, at his back. There was so much she wanted to say to this ragtag group of kids who were so kind to people that didn't deserve it. But they were almost at the door, so she settled for something quick.

"Thank you!"

"Thanks for the loan." Wheeler threw her one last look over his shoulder. "Next time I see ya, you better be the best damn Card Professor out there."

"I swear I will!"

He gave her a thumbs up and she'd never felt so determined in her life. She'd missed out on the cash, but at least she'd gotten _something_ out of this gig.

She had a purpose.


	5. Drink to the Cards that Defend You and I

This has been sitting on my hard drive, completed, for over a year. I am so sorry. I wanted to finish the next chapter before I posted it, which feels pretty arbitrary in retrospect. On the plus side, I am finally making progress on chapter six. I promise to grace you all with that one as soon as it's done. Till then, enjoy!

* * *

 **CHAPTER FIVE  
** **Drink to the Cards that Defend You and I**

It didn't take long for the luster to wear off and reality to sink in. Tilla had let one-hundred grand slip through her fingers. In its place she'd received a Herculean task, not quite on par with taking on the King but, somehow, no less daunting. So she went and did what anyone would do when their night proved to be a bit of a bust.

She drank.

At the time, Duel Bars were a new phenomenon. The Eternal Duelist Ale was the first she had ever seen in person, and she'd almost missed it. With no awning or flashy paint, it could have passed for a townhouse. Duel Monsters glowing in neon from the windows were all that set it apart. Either daytime business was a rarity or the location served the place well. It _was_ the first bar Tilla had seen since leaving the Dragon Tower.

The unofficial relationship with Kaiba Corporation proved more evident once she was inside. A giant Blue-Eyes White Dragon card, signed by Seto Kaiba, hung next to the entrance. On the host's station sat a framed picture of the man himself with, presumably, the owner. Kaiba looked somewhat perturbed, which seemed to be one of his default moods. She had witnessed another firsthand while waiting in the lobby, after her loss.

First she'd heard it, the distinct roar of a plane flying too low. She'd rushed to the windows, expecting to see a police helicopter. Instead she found the single gaudiest thing she'd ever seen. Including her own teenage bedroom.

Of course she had heard of Seto Kaiba's Blue-Eyes White Jet. Everyone had _heard_ of it. She had even seen a picture or two. None of it had prepared her for the actual sight of the thing. It was massive, and so expertly crafted it was almost offensive. She couldn't begin to imagine the time and money spent to make it look as much like the genuine article as possible.

Tilla already had it in mind that Kaiba was either insane, a genius, or an insane genius. Then he dared to open the cockpit, _while the jet was in motion_ , and jump on the head. Arms spread wide, coattails riding in the wind, he roared louder than the engines.

 _"Tenma! I won't let you take the Dragon Tower without a fight!"_

The jet even ascended as a creature would, first gently and then with a burst of full speed. Kaiba stood firm, like he thought himself the Dragon Master Knight. His recklessness was magnetic. Tilla stayed glued to the windows long after he and his creation dissolved into the sky. She had hoped he would be with Yugi's group when they returned, but he never graced the lobby with his presence. The photo was the best look at him she'd had all that night.

"Welcome to the Eternal Duelist Ale, where everybody knows your game! Table for one?"

Her heart jumped. She had gotten so wrapped up in the decor and her memory that she missed the host's return. He did not seem to mind; his smile grew wider when their eyes met over the picture frame. It must have been a common occurrence.

Tilla put the photo back in its place and cleared her throat. "Yes, may I have a seat at the bar, please?"

"Of course, right this way."

The walk hardly required an escort. She could see the bar from the host's station, and seating was sparse. All she needed from him was the drink menu, which he gave her in a leather casebound cover. The touch of class struck her as out of place with the giant novelty trading cards.

"You need a minute?" asked the bartender. He too was smiling but it was smaller than the host's, and more transparent. It screamed that, as much as he wanted a decent tip, he had no interest in waiting for her to peruse through the specials.

"No." She gave the menu a quick once over and ordered based on name alone. "I'll have a Dark Burning Cocktail."

"An excellent choice."

He mixed much like he smiled, with an air of obligation and little flair. Tilla meant to watch him, but her eye soon wandered towards the bar shelves. Among the bottles stood a display case, protruding ever so slightly over the edge. Inside, a filled Duelist Kingdom gauntlet spun on a rotary table. LED lights on either side made each of the ten star chips twinkle as they passed.

Tilla spied a familiar shape nestled in the back corner, behind the glove. She leaned forward to get a closer look. Sure enough, there was Yugi's Duelist Kingdom entry photo. At least, that's what she assumed it was. Whatever it was from, it had to be early in his career. He had a mild deer-in-the-headlights look and his discomfort was palpable.

The bartender glanced at the case as he slid her drink across the bar top. "Impressive, huh?"

"Is it actually Yugi Muto's?"

"Of course it is!"

She sat back, folded her hands, and tried to keep the skepticism out of her voice. "How did you all get such a thing?"

"Chalk it up to the fickle nature of the human mind." He shook his head and let out a sigh. Both struck her as rehearsed. "For you or me winning Duelist Kingdom would be the greatest achievement of our lives. But for Yugi Muto? It's just another tournament. New glories pile up. History becomes clutter."

Had she not met Yugi this would have made sense to her. But she had. No words could erase the image of him clinging to his pendant in search of strength and comfort. What happened to the original was a mystery. Many had asked. He would answer no questions about it. Of this much Tilla was certain: it had not become clutter.

Risking an argument with the bartender would have been foolish. She turned her attention to her drink. It was a deep red color that, while gorgeous, conjured no associations with Dark Magician Girl. If not for the magician's staff stirrer, it could have passed for a Red Ghost Moon cocktail. Of course, Red Ghost Moon was not the marketing juggernaut that Dark Magician Girl was. None but Tilla herself would order a drink by the power of _that_ name.

She stirred her cocktail, though it was already quite clear, and raised her glass. _Good life and peace to you, Yugi Muto.  
_  
"What do you think?" asked the bartender.

"Am _bro_ sial."

He either missed the derisive undertone or accepted lies better than he told them. Tilla enjoyed a good raspberry pomegranate cocktail, but Dark Burning was not one. It tasted of syrup above all else. She missed the tart edge. A mild aftertaste did not compare.

 _Then again ..._

One look at the black Duel Disk and she welcomed sweetness in any form. There would be plenty of sour to come.

Word traveled fast in the Dueling community. Soon everyone would know she had the Disk, and how she got it. She had made a promise to Joey Wheeler, but in the end a promise was no more than words. No one was going to wait for her to become the best of the Card Professors. They would chase her down and rip her apart, like the hyenas to which they were all so often compared. Wheeler might as well have drawn a target right on her back.

Tilla guzzled down the rest of her drink and surrendered herself to the surroundings. Overhead, the Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship played live on the nearest of several televisions. There was no sound, but it was not needed. Judging by the groan of the man beside her, someone had made a misplay. He pounded his empty glass into the bar top with such fury that she feared it would soon shatter. No level of drunkenness could explain such high investment. He had cash riding on this Duel, and lots of it.

The voice in Tilla's head once again warped into her mother's. _So? Who are you to judge, Miss Mercenary? Like you haven't done worse? You could have gotten a girl killed tonight!_

Watching the screen, she considered multiverse theory. In some parallel dimension, where she had refused Tenma, she'd have gone to Regionals. With so many Card Professors tied up in Project Rebirth, few could have outmatched her. In that universe she was back at Crypt O' Night with Laura, ordering a salmon filet out of her $3000 prize.

She slammed her head onto the bar.

" _Ouch!_ " cried the bartender. "You alright there?"

For the first time since Tilla had sat down he sounded genuine, but she was not drunk enough to share her woes. _Yet_. She groped around for her glass and raised it in the air.

"Another."

Two drinks later she had another reason to dislike the Dark Burning Cocktail. That brief spell of giggly bliss, the sole reason she drank at all, continued to elude her. True, she was back in a bar sooner than she otherwise would have been, but not soon enough for her tolerance to be so high. Dark Burning was more syrup than liquor, she had little doubt.

Upon closer inspection of the menu, a Neutron Blast Margarita proved tempting. It was Kaiba's picture on the host's station, after all. They wouldn't dare associate his Ultimate Dragon with a subpar drink, not if they had any sense.

She never did find out if Kaiba could claim victory over Yugi in the realm of mixed drinks. The call of nature demanded immediate action. Not a surprise, at the rate she was drinking, but still an annoyance. She hopped off her stool, cursing poor cocktails, poor choices, and the limits of the human body. A signed photo of Weevil Underwood pointed her in the direction of the restrooms. Despite everything, she chuckled.

As Tilla washed her hands, a rough plan for the night emerged. She would have that Neutron Blast and then go home, whether it got her buzzed or not. If she woke up the next morning without a hangover the whole thing might seem funny, in a cynical way. She even had a hook already: "I Fought the King of Games and all I Got was This Lousy Duel Disk."

Life threw a monkey wrench in that plan as soon as she left the bathroom. Nestled in the far corner of the nearest booth was none other than Pete Coppermine. Though he pretended to leaf through a copy of _Duelist Weekly_ , he had his eyes fixed on her.

"So." He smirked. "Yugi made it past the lobby."

Tilla wondered if she would ever know peace again. She grimaced. "What are you doing here?"

"Same as you, I'd guess." He gestured towards the empty side of the booth. "Take a seat! Tell good old Uncle Pete all about it."

She mouthed the words 'Uncle Pete' and shook her head. "Not to be rude, but sitting down in bars with strange men is how I wound up here in the first place."

He shrugged. "In that case, how much worse could I do?"

Tilla opened her mouth to protest, only to realize he had a point. Yako Tenma, he was not. Coppermine acted smug but, when it came down to it, they were peers. The power to annoy was all he had on her, and he shared it with most everything at that moment.

She slid into the booth, a tight squeeze in her large, puffy skirt. Coppermine watched her wrestle the ruffles with a mixture of pity and amusement. Somewhere in the commotion he caught sight of the black Duel Disk.

"Oooh, fancy," he said. "Consolation prize?"

"Joey Wheeler owed me one." Her face went blank as the words sank in. "I cannot believe he's the best of us."

" _I_ can't believe he beat me."

She began to snicker, which quickly grew into uproarious laughter. A more charitable person might have called it a delayed reaction to the cocktails. Tilla believed she'd reached the point where she could do nothing else. Coppermine averted his gaze, and that made her laugh even harder. She buried her face in her hands, waited for the fit to pass, and sighed.

"I told Wheeler that I would earn this Duel Disk, but I don't know that I can."

"Why not?" asked Coppermine. "If _he_ can do it, it can't be _that_ hard."

Tilla held out her arm and looked the Disk over, lingering on the Deck Zone. "I dueled my very best tonight, and it still wasn't enough. Yugi Muto outplayed me, plain and simple."

"You mean you lost to the best Duelist in the world?!" Coppermine's eyes widened in mock surprise. "Wow, you suck. Quit now."

"Funny."

"I mean it!" He pounded his fist into the table, then cupped his hands around his mouth. "Or you could _get over yourself._ It's not like any of us have beaten Yugi."

"That's all well and good, but it doesn't mean that Bandit Keith won't wipe the floor with me."

Coppermine swept his magazine off the table, pulled his Deck from his Duel Disk and placed it down. "If you're so worried, why don't you show me what you're working with?"

Her hands fell into her lap. The thought of Dueling again tonight filled her with dread. She had received the black Duel Disk only hours ago. It was not yet hers to lose, but she would hate to part with it so soon.

"Chill out," he said. "We're just testing here. No stakes, wooden or otherwise."

A smile tugged at the edge of her lips. "You might want to keep a few of the wooden ones handy."

She set her deck on the table and it sprung to life. The Kaiba Corporation logo appeared in the center as a pulsating blue light. In tandem, both sides of the Field scribbled into existence. With the last line drawn, the logo dimmed and morphed into the words "DUEL START!"

Tilla sat slack-jawed. "A ... Battle Booth?"

"What kind of Dueling Bar would this be if you couldn't duel?" asked Coppermine.

"I do not know," she said. "Do you often play basketball at sports bars?"

"Not since the one time."

She had a hankering suspicion that this was not a joke, but didn't want to give him the satisfaction of having her ask. Chances were high, joke or not, that he meant to distract her with some half-truth. She shook her head and inspected her hand. It lacked an opening combo, but Vampire Lady would make a fine foundation.

Coppermine reached for the leftmost card in his hand. "I'll start things off."

 _Not very Canadian of him_ , Tilla thought. Her deck build didn't hinge on going first, but was chivalry so dead? The Mountie would have let her go first, she bet.

"I'll summon Pitch-Black Warwolf in attack mode."

She watched with bated breath, wondering how exactly the Battle Booth rendered monsters. If a giant wolf man materialized in the middle of the bar, it would be worth the limp drinks. Alas, nothing so gauche. A small monster, about the size of an action figure, rose from the card art and struck a battle pose.

"That's all for now."

He had not set any Spell or Trap cards. If Tilla could ram through the Warwolf she'd have a firm lead, but that was easier said than done. Vampire Lady's potential died when Warwolf hit the field. Whether attack or defense, she was fifty points short of a stalemate. It was too early in the game to rely on topdecking, yet here Tilla was. She drew.

 _Yes!_

"I summon Pyramid Turtle in attack mode! Charge!"

The turtle flared its nostrils, pawed at the table a few times, and took off with the speed of a bull. Undeterred, the Warwolf brought its sword down on Pyramid Turtle's head, destroying it.

Coppermine furrowed his brow. "Why would you do that? Unless-"

"That's right!" she said. "With Pyramid Turtle destroyed, I can activate its special ability! Behold, my master!"

A black coffin emerged from her deck and eased open with a small but shrill creak. Clouds of dust poured out onto the field. From the thick of it, a clawed hand surfaced. The skeletal fingers crawled up the edge of the lid and shoved it aside. A pair of glowing red eyes pierced through the dust.

"Take flight, Vampire's Curse! Strike down Pitch-Black Warwolf with your Razor Nail Blade!"

He was little more than a blur as he dashed towards his prey. The Warwolf raised its sword but, before it could strike, Vampire's Curse dug his claw into its chest.

"Okay, time out." Coppermine made a T-sign with his hands. "Stop the ride. Pause the game."

"Pause?!" cried Tilla. "You can't _pause!_ "

"You want to know your problem? Cuz I've found it." He pointed at Vampire's Curse. "It's that guy."

She had a sudden urge to plunge _her_ own hand into _his_ chest. If he'd said it was her, that would have been one thing. She endured plenty of smack talk. Much of it from herself. But to insult Vampire's Curse? That was an offense tantamount to blasphemy.

"Excuse me?!"

He tapped the card twice and an info box appeared next to her monster. "Let me break it down for you. Vampire's Curse only resolves its effect when sent to the Graveyard by battle. No one is going to attack it once they figure that out. If they do, they've already found a way around it."

Yugi Muto and his Buster Blader came to mind.

"And it's not like they _have_ to. Do you realize how many ways there are to get a monster off the Field? One Mirror Force and that thing's deader than undead. All those life points you spent getting it out and powering it up?" He mimed an explosion with his hands. "Wasted."

He was making sense again and she hated it. "What do you expect me to do? Abandon my master?"

"Look, I get that you have a gimmick ... or a fetish. Whatever. I'm not one to judge. But that means you, of all people, oughta know that Dracula never dies." He reached into the booth and handed her his magazine. "He just takes a different form."

The center spread of _Duelist Weekly_ bade her to "Stare Into the Depths of _Dark Crisis_." She'd heard rumblings about the booster months before, but paid little attention. Neither of its new archetypes could lead her astray from her precious Vampires. How ironic that, in her fervent loyalty, she missed the reveal of Vampire Lord. He beckoned from the top right corner of the spread, an odd man out among the Guardians and Archfiends.

"How's that for a master?" asked Coppermine.

"He's beautiful." Tilla traced around the card art with her finger. His face, half-hidden by hair, held the allure of youth and mystery along with the chilling aura of death. He brandished stars in his cape, compelling her with promises of the universe.

"But his effect ... it requires Battle Damage. I would have to change my entire strategy."

Coppermine clapped his hands to his face. "And _that's_ what got you the black Duel Disk!"

"Al _right._ " She closed the magazine, tossed it back at him, and glared. "Point made."

"Then you better get a move on," he said. "Bandit Keith wants that Disk pretty bad."

"I know."

"Let's get out of here." He scooped his deck off the table. The Duel Field disappeared in a flash. A server came around from behind the booth to confirm she could give him the bill. He asked for Tilla's as well, and almost endeared himself to her as a result. She hadn't expected him to hand both to her.

"I figure the greatest Card Professor can afford a couple of drinks for her new pal."

"I'm _not_ the greatest Card Professor!" She pushed his ticket across the table.

"Well, not with _that_ attitude! Haven't you ever heard of fake it till you make it?"

She gave him a hard stare straight in his cat eyes. "You mean like you do?"

"If you have to ask, you'll never know." He slid the bill back towards her with a grin that showed the slightest hint of his fangs. "Call it a payment. For the coaching."

Annoyance, gratitude, and the fear that he could keep this up all night coalesced. She caved. "But you will buy your own damn Booster Packs!"

"Deal!"

It was a full moon that night. She remembered, because Coppermine started wailing at the sky as soon as he spotted it. He took off into a run, the howl lilting up and down in spite of the growing distance. The sound grated on her. Vampires and werewolves, they didn't mix well. She could have left him behind and doubted he would notice. Sometimes, as the years went on, she questioned why she hadn't. It might have been that she saw a bit of herself in his eccentricity. Maybe seeing Yugi and his friends had made her yearn for camaraderie. Or she could have been drunk. Whatever the case, in spite of how he made her groan, she hiked up her skirt and chased after him.


End file.
